Rachel is strangled to death by a perverted serial killer and left to rot in a shallow grave. Not long after that, Rachel rises from her grave in nearly perfect condition. She meets up with her aunt who works as a coroner to discuss her miraculous defiance of death in hopes of catching the man who killed her, but things get even more complex. Rachel finds herself to be caught up in a twisted revenge plot that has been in the making for centuries, a plot that defies time, death and the limits of human existence.
Rachel Rising is a true hidden horror gem in the world of graphic novels. The plot is insanely original, reminiscent of the darker side of Neil Gaiman, China Meiville, Gerald Brom and other writers of morbidly beautiful tales of magical realism. The story starts off as a simple psychological thriller, but gradually ramps things up with elements of paranormal horror, Christian mythology and gruesome surrealism.
Though there are some truly horrifying and grotesque things that happen all throughout the story, it also manages to handle comedy and romance extremely well. I genuinely felt invested in all the friendships, romantic relationships and laughed out loud quite a few times. The comedy is morbid as hell and the romance feels earned. It doesn’t feel out of place with the dark fantasy and horror elements at all. The fine balance of all these qualities reminds me of Preacher a bit.
The art is stunning. The character expressions are some of the most highly detailed I’ve ever seen. I loved all the main characters. My favorites were the mortician Aunt Johnny and a little psychopath girl named Zoe who brutally murders people throughout the entire story while somehow remaining consistently charming, hilarious and empathetic.
Great series!